Gold dust and oily hands...

You are assuming a lot here. It seems you've already decided what I'm going to say before I say it. I have not accused anyone of anything. As long as there are human beings there will be different opinions. I do not believe that tongues are in use today. There is no biblical evidence for being slain in the spirit. Could I be wrong? Yes. Does it have anything to do with my salvation or relationship with Christ? No. Yes I have prayed for someone's healing and yes they were healed. Yes I have had many prayers answered that could only have been the work of God. I am not looking for "experiences". I want something much deeper than that. As I said in an earlier post, in my early days as a Christian, I was involved in several different denoms one being charasmatic. Even with all their so called tongues and slayings, they were not one bit holier than anyone else. They sin, they mess up, they are learning and searching like the rest of us. You are free to believe whatever you want, but don't criticize me because I don't believe in those things. And don't use it as an excuse not to find out for yourself what is true.

 

What I meant was that you have to seek your own relationship with God. And rely on the things that you do know. You know that Jesus died for your sins, He wants us to love one another, follow the commandments, ask forgiveness when we sin..Pray for God to help you in this matter of confusion and be patient for His response. In the mean time, keep reading, praying and obeying. Sometimes it's hard being a follower of Christ and don't think He's left you just because you don't see a sign or an instant answer to prayer. None of us knows all the answers (yet) and anyone who says they do is just fooling themselves. Jesus said, "by this you will know that you are My disciples, if you have love for one another." In times of confusion, go back to the basics. Focus on these things. God will answer all your questions in time. Just trust Him to do so and stop worrying that you don't know everything yet.
Remember this:
1 Corinthians
13:1
Though I speak with the tongues of men and of angels, but have not love, I have become sounding brass or a clanging cymbal.
13:2
And though I have the gift of prophecy, and understand all mysteries and all knowledge, and though I have all faith, so that I could remove mountains, but have not love, I am nothing.
13:3
And though I bestow all my goods to feed the poor, and though I give my body to be burned, but have not love, it profits me nothing.

This is what is truly important.

 

You compare them to scripture, scripture taken in context, that what you do find out if they are real or not.
And it doesn't matter what anyone says about slain in the psirit, it isn't in the bible, then it isn't of God.
Scripture is your source of truth and authority in spiritual matters.

 

What do you think will help you?

 

X, this is why we have to compare everything to scripture to see if it's true. Have you ever wondered why you don't hear of Benny Hinn going to hospitals to heal people? Ever heard of him going to Africa to heal the masses of aides? No. Because there is no profit ($$$$$) in it. Let's compare that to scripture. What did Jesus charge to heal people? What did the apostle Paul or the 12 charge to heal people? Zero. In fact the apostle Paul wouldn't accept any money. He worked to support himself. What about slaying in the spirit? What happened when Jesus touched people? Did they fall down in convulsions? No. You won't find any evidence of this phenomena in scripture at all. The prosperity crowd says that Jesus was rich, therefore we should be too. Jesus Himself said "foxes have holes and birds of the air have nests, but the Son of Man has nowhere to lay His head." Luke 9:58. Jesus said there's a cost to following Him. If you compare the words and actions of these people you will know that they are false prophets. It's really not complicated. Do like the Bereans who searched the scriptures daily to see if these things were true (Acts 17:11). This is your responsibility as a Christian. Don't rely on other people to do it for you.

 

Incorrectly posted. Removed partial duplicate.

 

I've often wondered if your name indicates your position -- an ex disciple. Does it?

 

X, you have to trust scripture. If you don't then you will never be able to discern the truth. What if? What if? What if? Just a waste of precious time.

 

Again, quick answer, quick solution. Then, if he doesn't just show the "fruit" we think he should, when we think he should, the patience quickly vaporizes.

So we have to be he mentors for now. Some peopke try to answer his questions, then you all tell him to avoid people like Benny Hinn who are overboard with the wild claims and stuff. Fine. But to get that frustrated and then begin questioning his salvation just because he doesnt react the way you think he should, is a bit much; and now all that stuff about "the dark night of the soul" (? If his confusion is so annoying, do you want to confuse him more? Why say something like that? I don't even get that post!)

I remember that discourse, and I think the main problem was the distance. You know someone in Germany or wherever he is, or do you mean someone online?

And this is a highly unfair judgement! Even if he is unsaved, do you know how many people have been turned away from Christ (and often become the most hardnosed atheists) because of Christians being cold, especially when it came to questions? (This includes my father, who remains unsaved). Do we go out into the mission field to prospective converts angry that they are not already mature Christians? Do we count all of their questions like that and just hope they would stop and go away? Yes, he is asking a lot of questions, and many of them have no ready answer. Some do, but no one can seem to agree what the Word of God really says, as everyone has their system or arguments for their preconceived ideas (and the sabbath issue is a perfect example that I was thinking of). It took me a long time to realize that people can answer only but so many questions; and learn to just read for myself and make up my own mind. But it is true that that is hard to do when we realize it could be wrong. At least some like this want the real truth, and not just any quick interpretation that sounds good (contrary to that "tickling of the ears" remark). It seems questions have always been a problem for many Christians, and we have a reputation for dodging them. This ultimately hurts our whole testimony, even though some may buy our quick ready answers and silencing/pacifying techniques.

Yes, there are people playing games through questions, but xdisciple does look like an honest seeker. Yes, "Nowhere does Christ command us to become seekers of knowledge", but then a person has to start somewhere, and how do you expect him to believe in something with no knowledge of it? So whether he is saved or not, you are trying to push "discipleship" and now "repentance" on him, but if he does not understand, then coming down in judgment is not going to do anything but push him further away if he does happen to be unsaved--like he is really doing something to you because he has a lot of questions there are no easy answers for. As I said, this speaks alot about our faith, just as much or more than him. If he's just a faker playing games, then leave it to God; threats won;t faze him anyway. Meanwhile, we have had several supposed "confused Protestant questioners" recently who quickly went from questioning to trying to teach us "the truth" of the Catholic/Orthodox position, and I noticed nobody jumped on them like that, yet those are the ones people should have been suspecting.

So again, answer him if you can; admit you don't know the answer if necessary, tell him to avoid charlatans, and give them the scriptural reasons why that person is false, as some are doing. If you;re still that tired of him, just ignore him. But all the judgment and annoyance is not necessary, and can only cause more problems. You cannot shake everyone up through tough talk. Some people, yes, but everyone is different.

 

Eric,

Do you want to see me frustrated?

Frustrated? When I ran up to the car and the woman had glass in her eyes and no blood in them . . . death on impact and there was nothing that I could do for her or the boy that was cunvulsing . . . That frustrates me.

What frustrates you? Some child rejecting the Word of God and getting ready to condemn himself to the dark night of the soul because he is playing with demonism? He should be disipled . . . and if you think that 'electronic' works - prove he has grown in his faith at all, even a little bit.

Play on . . . play on.

 

Eric,

For your issues . . . I regret that your father is choosing to reject the Word of God . . . however, it reads like you are reacting to XX based upon a fear that you or I can change his heart.

Only the God that I (and you) fear can change a heart. As long as XX refuses to be changed, he won't be changed.

And since he is playing with fire, he will get burned.

I am a servant of God Almighty. If I was a fireman and did not tell you to not go into the burning house and you died, your family would sue me for not doing my 'j.o.b.'.

I serve God - when I warn someone of the coming judgment and they choose to ignore the warning God says that I have save myself from judgment . . . I FEAR GOD. (Ezekiel 3 & 33).

He needs navigators or even charismatic (conservative) discipleship. He does not need more ouiji board maneuvering.